On Saturday, November 17, Burchfield Penney Art Center (BPAC) will be getting underway with its inaugural exposition dedicated to poetry. Over the last couple of years, the poetry scene in Buffalo has taken giant leaps, with a number of new poetry series held at bars and cafés around the city – not to mention the various local competitions and travel squads.
Now, BPAC will be providing local poets an outlet to showcase their talents, during an event titled Entropy: THE POETEXPO. The expo is a culmination of BPAC’s ongoing commitment to the local poet community, via its long-running Poets and Writers Series. In that series, one writer is spotlighted, whereas the inaugural expo will include combining “four featured readers, a hands-on workshop, and youth writers.”
The half day event will be curated by poet and freelance writer Paige Melin, who is recognized as a leading poetic talent in Buffalo. “We have a stellar lineup of featured readers kicking off this event,” says Melin. “Along with the young writers, vendors and workshops, it will be a vibrant representation of Buffalo’s poetry scene.”
The featured readers are:
- Julio Montalvo Valentin served as a longtime editor before moving on to his current project, converting a school bus into a traveling poetry caravan
- Megan Kemple and Eve Williams recently returned from Chicago where they represented Buffalo and helped us place in the Top 10 in the 2018 National Poetry Slam
- Williams’ Facebook page, Unfiltered, has garnered national attention and several of the poems she has uploaded to the page have gone viral
- Robin Jordan works as the Just Buffalo Writing Center coordinator, offering creative writing workshops and reading opportunities for teens
Attendees to the expo will find plenty of inspiration, including ways to beef up their own poetic craft.
- The Western New York Book Arts Center (WNYBAC) will be offering a free Pamphlet-Stitch Journal Workshop where guests can learn how to make their own simple, take-home journal
- The Just Buffalo Writing Center will present a young writers showcase featuring poems from local high schoolers and young college students
- Guests will also have time to browse the variety of literary arts vendors at the event
- Performances by the featured readers
Entropy: THE POETEXPO
Saturday, November 17, 2018
1 to 6 pm
Burchfield Penney Art Center | 1300 Elmwood Avenue | Buffalo, NY
Find a full event schedule online at www.burchfieldpenney.org/events
This event is free with gallery admission and open to the public